Old and authentic Hongwe reliquary figures are rare and extremely expensive. They have been produced specifically for the collecting market for quite some time now. It has been stated in many publications that the authentic production of these types of figures ceased to be made sometime in the 30's due to the influence of missionaries who repressed the cult that used them, and many of the figures were burned or thrown into lakes.

(Update Oct 2006) - Louis Perrois writes in "African Faces, African Figures - The Arman Collection" - "All such objects disappeared from the villages between 1940 and 1960. Confiscated by missionaries or destroyed by prophets of new syncretic religions (the "Mademoiselle" cult, for example), others were sometimes merely hidden in ancient cemeteries, deep in the forest, where, accidentally, some are still being recovered."

From what I have read about various cults that were ordered ceased my the missionaries in the early part of the 20th Century, sometimes these cultures practiced these cults in secret and the production of objects such as this continued either in their traditional form, or in forms that adopted modern objects that replaced the traditional forms in order to help ensure the secrecy of the continued cult. There is a lot of literature out there, most of which I don't have in my small library, and there are many different statements made as to when different cults ceased to exist and what the extent of continued production of traditional objects was, so it is possible that objects that we thought were no longer traditionally made after a certain point did continue, but the research I have access to is sketchy as far as how long these cults may have continued in secrecy.

I don't know what to think about the authenticity of this figure, but I am inclined to think that it was a figure specifically made for the collecting market and not one made for their original intended purpose.

That being said, I think the figure is in excellent style for these types of figures. I have seen several of these figures in museum collections and high end galleries, and in my opinion this figure compares nicely against any one of them I have seen. I enjoy it in my collection.

The Mahongwe practice an ancestor cult (bwiti or bwete) that was at the center of a system of beliefs and rites and ancestor worship formed the core of the family group’s religious and social life. Fearful of the deceased the Mahongwe showed particular devotion to relics of important ancestors of the lineage, guarantors for the protection and survival of the group. At the death of a chief, the initiates would take from the body of the deceased various relics, which then decorated with metal and rubbed with powders of multiple magical powers. These relics, augmented by some “charms” and other power substances, were kept in woven rattan baskets upon which were arranged reliquary figures in wood plated with thin copper or brass strips, plates of wire. It was believed that the skulls of important men retained their power after death. Every Mahongwe clan has a reliquary kept in the back of the chief’s hut. These relics were expected to protect and benefit the families that owned them. At the time of initiation in the reliquary cult, the clans would meet to perform communal rituals; each clan’s chief would dance holding the reliquary. Some reliquaries featured a large figure representing the lineage founder along with some smaller figures representing his successors. Mahongwe reliquary figures consist of three distinct sections: the oval, concave face with projecting top knot, the cylindrical neck, and an openwork base. The mouth is missing. The heads of these remarkable abstractions are large and do not have upper or side pieces. The base is of lozenge form. They are considered dangerous to handle because of their role in former funeral rites, which have not been practiced for over sixty years.References: Sources: A History of Art in Africa / Africa - The Art of a Continent / The Tribal Art of Africa / The Dance, Art and Ritual of Africa

NotesPreviously known by the name of Ossyéba, the Mahongwe sub-style of the Kota people, of which they form the northern branch, was only identified as such by Perrois in 1966.

The carving of this bwete (a name that refers to both the cult of ancestors and their reliquaries figures), as well as the high position of the nose and eyes, makes it possible, according to the classification established by L. Perrois (1985, p. 42), to identify it as a "big" bwete, corresponding to the figures of the founders of the lineage.

The style of this historical work, with its wide brass plaque covering the face, is unique among the known Mahongwe reliquary figures in private and museum collections.

DescriptionThe concave truncated oval face covered with vertical metal panel at the centre with attached slender nose and metal disc eyes, diagonal metal strips joining the eyes to the lower border of the face, each side with horizontal narrow metal strips, the reverse with three vertical ridges at the center and embossed stippled ornament, the pierced lozenge body with copper and brass binding, metal binding about the conical projection at the top, the wood with dark glossy patina, white painted number 8303, on Inagaki base 201/2in. (54.5cm.) high PROVENANCE Frank Crowninshield, New York Mrs. George W. Crawford EXHIBITION African Negro Art from the Collection of Frank Crowninshield, The Brooklyn Museum, 1937.

Estimate:$ 60,000 - $ 80,000 Price Realized:$ 57,360

From a Sotheby's auction:

A SUPERB MAHONGUE RELIQUARY GUARDIAN FIGURE

LOCATION ESTIMATE AUCTION DATE

New York 25,000—35,000 USD Session 115 Nov 02 10:15 AM

Lot Sold. Hammer Price with Buyer's Premium: 29,875 USD

height 18in. 45.7cm

bwete, the base of fragmentary form, the front arching leg beneath a neck encircled by copper strips and supporting the leaf-shaped head, with diminutive features, a flat, protruding nose and disc-like eyes and decorated with brass strips with a knob at the crown; fine aged and encrusted patina.

The 2 figures above are a couple that I have found that exhibit design in the center metal strip from the top of the head down to the eyes, like my figure has (It is harder to see in the example on the right, but I believe the design extends to the top of the figure). Most examples found in literature have a simple and undecorated center plane and simple undecorated metal strips coming out from the center of the head to the outside. I placed these two examples on this page to show the variations that can be seen on some examples. Some examples have metal placed over the base of the object as well, but not all, and some of the objects with metal at the base also exhibit patterns in the metal.